Football | Absa Premiership

Celtic to give trial to Zimbabwe striker

Zimbabwe striker Roderick Mutuma is to go on trial with Premier Soccer League club Bloemfontein Celtic next month, the state-owned herald newspaper reported in Harare.

Mutuma was the top scorer in the Zimbabwe league in 2011 and helped his Harare club Dynamos to retain their league and cup titles again this year, scoring vital goals in the run-in to the title.

He is due to fly to South Africa on January 14 to begin the trial, reports said.

Last week Zimbabwe newspapers linked Mutuma to Orlando Pirates but they have a full quota of foreigners this season. Celtic have two slots open to fill up us in the January transfer window.

Nations First Division side Dynamos also said they were seeking his services.

“We have wanted Roderick since last year. We wanted Cuthbert Malajila, but Maritzburg beat us to him and at that time Mutuma was on trials at Ajax who had appeared keen on signing him right away,” Dynamos general manager July Malabela told supersport.com.

“Now we need a striker and we will be fighting to get him. We will be working to get him anytime now as the league in Zimbabwe is finished now. We need him,’’ Malabela said then.

But Mutuma’s agents is not keen on a lower league club, the Herald said.

Two other Dynamos players are heading to South Africa with goalkeeper George Chigova set for trials at struggling Ajax Cape Town and Denver Mukamba to join Bidvest Wits.